Dhaka,  Thursday
31 October 2024

ISKCON followers stage demo in Ctg after case against officials

Staff Reporter, Chattogram 

Published: 21:02, 31 October 2024

ISKCON followers stage demo in Ctg after case against officials

Photo: Messenger 

Several thousand followers of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Thursday afternoon staged demonstration at Cheragi hills in Chattogram after a case was filed against 19 officials including Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari of the organisation on charges of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag in Chattogram's New Market area on October 25 during a mass rally to press for eight specific demands.

A protester Sharup Bhattacharjee told The Daily Messenger they demanded immediate withdrawal of the false case against the ISKCON officials. 

“The false case was filed to make us afraid as we announced a long march programme to press our eight point demands,” he said. 

A sedition case was filed on Thursday against 19 people including Chandan Kumar Dhar alias  Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a top official of ISKCON, on charges of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag at New Market area in Chattogram on October 25, said Kazi Md Tareq Aziz, additional deputy commissioner (public relations) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police. 

Md Firoz Khan of Chandgoan area filed the case with Kotwali police station on Thursday, said officials. 

The other accused are Ajoy Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, Dr Kathak Das, Engineer Amit Dhar, Roni Das, Rajib Das, Krishna Kumar Dutta, Jiku Chowdhury, Newton Dey, Tushar Chakraborty Rajib, Mithun Dey, Rupan Dhar, Rimon Dutta, Sukanta Das, Biswajit Gupta, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, according to the case statement.

The plaintiff mentioned in the complaint that a group of youths reportedly placed a saffron-coloured flag over the Bangladeshi flag on a pillar at Zero Point at the New Market circle during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner “Sanatan Jagaran Mancha” on October 25.

However, Kotwali police detained Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das at Sadarghat area in Chattogram on Wednesday evening, according to ADC (PR) Kazi Md Tareq Aziz of CMP. 

However, Hindu community under the banner “Sanatan Jagaran Mancha” announced a protest rally on Friday following the case and arrest of two community people, according to an organiser Sharup Bhattacharjee. 

Messenger/Fameema